1.
Explore the website for your
township, city, or village to find out
when and where public meetings
are held. If available, sign up for your
municipal newsletter.
2.
Attend public meetings and listen,
listen, listen. Seek first to understand
before promoting your own agenda.
3.
Prepare yourself. Know the facts
beyond your personal opinions and
assumptions. Talk to local government
and non-profit organizations and to
other community members; research
how other communities have
successfully addressed your concerns.
4.
Decide which public ofcials you’re
most comfortable talking to and
introduce yourself. Arrange to meet
for cofee, seek common ground and
to learn how you might be of service
to the community in terms of the
issues you care about.
Your public ofcials have shown up, and you can too.
There are many ways to do so:
5.
Ask about volunteer positions for
citizens on committees or commissions
for parks, zoning, housing, etc., and learn
the qualifications and process to join.
6.
VOTE. Learn which local and state public
ofcials support conservation and how
you can support them. If nobody seems
interested in conservation, consider
running for ofce yourself or supporting
someone in doing so.
7.
Help ensure a safe and participatory
political environment by volunteering as
a poll observer or assistant. Regardless
of party, showing up will earn respect
and shows that you care.
8.
Encourage voter engagement by
becoming a precinct captain (liaison
between voters and ofcials) for your
political party. Help voters be better
informed by explaining the issues that
your party’s candidates care about.
LEARN MORE, DO MORE!
Nature enthusiasts can help influence whether a community has bike trails, green space, native
landscaping, efective recycling, green energy, and more. With just a little efort and engagement,
you can bring nature to the forefront of civic conversations. Join us for a new upcoming course
Getting Things Done: Civic Engagement for Conservation to learn how local governments work, where
to find information, and where to find opportunities for networking and respectful civic engagement.
To find out more, please contact Connie O'Connor, Director of Applied Learning,
at coconnor@cincynature.org
Fall/Winter 2024 | CincyNature.org 9